Shadowhunters Preview: Clary Owns Her Power in Season 3 — But Is She Strong Enough to Save Jace?

Clary Fray is a woman on a mission when Shadowhunters returns tonight for its third season (Freeform, 8/7c).

“With everything that’s happened to her in the Shadow World, Clary has been changed inherently,” Katherine McNamara tells TVLine of her character’s journey. “She’s gone from this wide-eyed little girl who sees the Shadow World as a source of wonder to a woman who knows that this world is harsh and cold and that people die all the time. She refuses to let anyone else die because of her.”

Below, McNamara fields a few questions about the drama’s third chapter, including Clary’s new drama with Jace — and her new life (mostly) without Simon:

TVLINE | Season 3 kicks off with Clary’s induction as a Shadowhunter. That must have been a huge moment to shoot.
It was really fun for all of us. In wardrobe, choosing the right dress and making sure it was appropriate for the ceremony. Then in hair and makeup, choosing the right look and the right hairstyle and the right tone for everything that happens. It was sweet being here on the day. Alberto [Rosende] happened to be near the set we were shooting on, and he was like, “I’m so proud of you, Fray. I feel like you’re a real Shadowhunter now.” And all of us feel that way. It’s one of those moments that show you how far we’ve come. Everything has been established, and now we’re ready to start something new.

TVLINE | Wow, a rare Alberto sighting? I feel like Simon and Clary never see each other anymore.
We don’t! It’s become very strange. Simon has his own thing dealing with the aftermath of his time in the Seelie Court, and Clary’s dealing with this big secret she’s hiding and everything Jace is going through. I got so accustomed to having at least one scene between Simon and Clary where they grounded each other and checked in to make sure the other was OK. Alberto and I also used that as our time to catch up and do the same thing — he actually is the Simon to my Clary. But we don’t really get to do that anymore, and it’s very strange.

TVLINE | Any chance Clary will find herself a new Simon?
Oh, there could never be a new Simon. And that’s part of her struggle in this first half of the season, as well. Until she and Simon can get back to each other, she really has no one she can turn to. She really has to struggle with this dilemma, with the responsibilities of bringing Jace back, and knowing that he’s going through everything because of her actions. She has no one to turn to without inherently making them culpable. This motivates Clary to take matters into her own hands and to trust her instincts as a Shadowhunter.

TVLINE | As long as she doesn’t try to do too much on her own.
If we know Clary, we know she’ll probably take things a little too far on her own before asking for help. But it’s all with the best intentions.

TVLINE | Will Jace and Clary’s secret create a new block in their relationship?
It’s a huge block. As we saw at the end of last season, there’s something seriously wrong with Jace. And that takes priority over their relationship at times. We do get a few nice moments of them being together as a couple when the world’s not ending or in dire straits. You’ll actually get to see them behave as a normal couple occasionally, and it’s really sweet to see that side of them come out. But ultimately, it does come down to dealing with [Jace’s problem] before it gets out of hand. That takes precedence over dating and happy couple time.